Container and blank therefor

ABSTRACT

A foldable container and blank therefor, which blank includes two rows of complementary tabs and score lines defining a pair of side flaps and a pair of end flaps. Adjacent tabs are spaced by slots which accommodate the lead wires of electrical resistors positioned to underly the tabs. The side flaps are foldable over the lead wires and the end flaps are folded over the end portions of the side flaps to complete the container.

United States Patent Brandi [45] June 13, 1972 [54] CONTAINER AND BLANK THEREFOR 2,135,134 11/1938 Ehlers ..206/79 [72] Inventor: Henry W. Brandi, Newark, NJ. primary Examiner wil|iam Dixson [73] Assignee: Wagner Electric Corporation Attorney-Rudolph Junck [22] Filed: July 13, 1970 [57] ABSTRACT [2 1] Appl. No.: 54,360 A foldable container and blank therefor, which blank includes two rows of complementary tabs and score lines defining a pair of side flaps and a pair of end flaps. Adjacent tabs are U.S. F, paced slots accommodate the lead wires of elect- [51] Int. Cl. ..B65d 73/02, B65d 85/24 cal resistors positioned to underly the tabs. The side flaps are [58] Field of Search ..206/65 F, 79, 56 A, 66 foldable over the lead wires and the end flaps are folded over the end portions of the side flaps to complete the container. [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 4 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures 3,093,243 6/1963 Fetter ..206/65 F /6' l /2\ /8\, rr/Q /I3 l i I I 2/ 22 i PATENTEDJun 1 3 I972 3 669 2 59 sum 2 or 2 /3 HENRY w. BRA ND! INVENTQR.

A RNEY CONTAINER AND BLANK THEREFOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Various packages, and containers have heretofore been proposed for electrical resistors having lead wires extending from opposite ends thereof. In general, these are expensive and of such construction that considerable time is required to load them with a plurality of resistors.

A container made in accordance with this invention is of a simple, economical construction, is easy to load and permits the user to test the resistors without requiring the opening of the container.

Two rows of complementary tabs are formed in the central portion of a blank, the base portions of the tabs being defined by score lines and adjacent tabs being spaced by slots. Additional score lines define side and end flaps. The score lines permit initial folding of the blank into a loading configuration wherein the tabs extend vertically along opposite sides of an opening. Resistors are placed into the opening with the lead wires thereof passing between the slots, after which the side flaps are folded over the lead wires and the end flaps are folded over the end portions of the side flaps and secured in such positions.

An object of this invention is the provision of a blank foldable to form a container for electrical components having lead wires extending therefrom.

An object of this invention is the provision of an improved container for electrical resistors, said container being foldable to a loading configuration facilitating the positioning of the resistors therein and said container being foldable to another configuration to retain the resistors in position.

An object of this invention is the provision of a container for electrical resistors having lead wires extending from opposite ends thereof, which container includes aligned slots for accommodating the lead wires, complementary tabs adapted to overlie the bodies of the resistors and flaps foldable to retain the resistors in position.

The above-stated and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description when taken with the accompanying drawings. It will be understood, however, that the drawings are for purposes of illustration and are not to be construed as defining the scope or limits of the invention, reference being had for the latter purpose to the claims appended hereto.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings wherein like reference characters denote like parts in the several views:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view showing a container blank made in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view showing the blank folded into the loading configuration;

FIG. 4 is a corresponding end elevational view thereof;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view corresponding to that of FIG. 3 and showing a plurality of electrical resistors positioned between the upstanding tabs of the blank;

FIG. 6 is a corresponding end elevational view thereof;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged top plan view showing the blank in the unfolded condition and with the resistors in place;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 8-8 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a top plan view showing the blank in the final folded configuration; and

FIG. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line 10-10 of FIG. 9.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIGS. 1 and.2 the container blank, made of a suitable material, such as paper board or a plastic, is provided with longitudinally extending score lines 10 and 11 defining the side flaps l2 and 13, and transversely extending score lines 14 and 15 defining the end flaps l6 and 17. Additionally, a

second pair of longitudinal score lines 18 and 19 extend the full length of the blank. The blank is die cut to form two rows of complementary tabs 21 and 22, with the material between adjacent tabs blanked out to form the transverse slots 23 and 24. It will be noted that the score lines 18 and 19 define the base portions of the tabs.

The blank shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is folded downwardly along the score lines 18 and 19 and upwardly along the score lines 10 and 11, so that the blank has a generally inverted U- shape configuration as shown in the top plan and end elevational views of FIGS. 3 and 4, respectively. By reason of the score lines 18 and 19 extending along the full length of the blank, the tabs 21 and 22 automatically assume vertical positions, thereby resulting in an elongated opening 26. The end flaps form the legs 27 and base 28 of the inverted U-shaped portion of the structure, which structure is supported by the side flaps 12 and 13. The so-folded blank preferable is placed in a suitable fixture to retain the illustrated configuration, thereby freeing the hands of the operator for the loading operation. I

The container is particularly useful for the shipment and storage of electrical components having lead wires extending from opposite ends thereof. As shown in the top plan and end elevational views of FIGS. 5 and 6, respectively, electrical resistors 30 are positioned in the central opening 26 with the lead wires 31 and 32 passing between the slots 23 and 24 formed between adjacent ones ofthe tabs 21 and 22. The lead wires of the resistors rest upon the wall defining such slots, with portions of the resistors extending below the plane containing the base portions of the end flaps, such base portion 28 of the end flap 17 being visible in FIG. 6.

The loaded blank is then removed from the fixture and unfolded to its original flat configuration as shown in the enlarged top plan view of FIG. 7. Upon the unfolding of the blank along the score lines 18 and 19, the tabs 21 and 22 are brought into engagement with the resistors 30. Consequently, although the major portions of the blank lie in a common plane, the tabs 21 and 22 assume the angular dispositions as shown in FIG. 8, which is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 8-8 of FIG. 7. With the exception of the end ones of the tabs 21 and 22, each of the aligned tabs overlies and is in engagement with two adjacently disposed resistors.

Finally, and as shown in the top plan view of FIG. 9, the side flaps l2 and 13 first are folded upwardly and over the resistor leads 31 and 32 after which the end flaps I6 and 17 are folded upwardly and over the end portions of the side flaps. Upon securing the two end flaps in place, as by the staples 34, there results a sturdy container suitable for placement into an envelope for mail shipment. When a single staple is applied to the central portion of each of the end flaps, the spring action of the folded-over side flaps 12 and 13 causes each of the end flaps to assume a somewhat upwardly-bowed configuration as shown in FIG. 10 which is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line 1010 of FIG. 9. Also, the two side flaps l2 and 13 are not pressed into firm engagement with the underlying leads of the resistors. This arrangement permits the user to raise the side flaps somewhat to facilitate the attachment of conventional alligator clips to the leads of selected resistors for the purpose of checking their electrical characteristics without unfolding the container as received from the manufacturer. Alternatively, each end flap may be secured in place by means of several staples, thereby resulting in a somewhat more compact container. In either case, the width of eachof the side flaps 12 and 13 is such that portions of the leads of all of the resistors are exposed for test purposes, see FIG. 9. Pertinent information may be marked on the exposed surfaces of the side flaps such as, for example, the manufacturers name, the number of units enclosed and the specific electrical characteristics thereof. Also, it is standard practice to mark the body of each resistor with its ohmic value. In the described container, such markings are visible to the user from one or the other side of the container.

Having now described the invention what I desire to protect by Letters Patent is set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A blank foldable to form a container and comprising,

a. a sheet of foldable material,

b. a first pair of parallel score lines defining a pair of side flaps,

c. a second pair of parallel score lines normal to the said first pair of score lines and defining a pair of end flaps,

a third pair of parallel score lines positioned between the said first pair of score lines and extending to the edges of the said end flaps, and

e. two rows of complementary tabs directed toward each other, the tabs of one row terminating at one of said third pair of score lines and the tabs of the other row terminating at the other of said third pair of score lines.

2. A container for electrical components having lead wires extending from opposite ends thereof, said container comprising,

a. a sheet of foldable material, b. two rows of complementary tabs formed integrally with the sheet and directed toward each other, adjacent tabs being spaced by slots for accommodating the said lead wires,

0. a pair of side flaps defined by score lines and foldable over the sheet to overly the said lead wires,

d. a pair of end flaps defined by score lines and foldable over the end portions of the said flaps, and

e. means retaining the end flaps in the folded-over positions.

3. A container as recited in claim 2, wherein the side flaps have a width such that the edges thereof are spaced from the base portions of the tabs when the side flaps are in the foldedover positions, and wherein the end flaps have a width such that the edges thereof are spaced from the end tabs of each row when the end flaps are in the folded-over positions 4. A container as recited in claim 3, including a pair of parallel score lines defining the base portions of the tabs, which score lines extend to the edges of the end flaps. 

1. A blank foldable to form a container and comprising, a. a sheet of foldable material, b. a first pair of parallel score lines defining a pair of side flaps, c. a second pair of parallel score lines normal to the said first pair of score lines and defining a pair of end flaps, d. a third pair of parallel score lines positioned between the said first pair of score lines and extending to the edges of the said end flaps, and e. two rows of complementary tabs directed toward each other, the tabs of one row terminating at one of said third pair of score lines and the tabs of the other row terminating at the other of said third pair of score lines.
 2. A container for electrical components having lead wires extending from opposite ends thereof, said container comprising, a. a sheet of foldable material, b. two rows of complementary tabs formed integrally with the sheet and directed toward each other, adjacent tabs being spaced by slots for accommodating the said lead wires, c. a pair of side flaps defined by score lines and foldable over the sheet to overly the said lead wires, d. a pair of end flaps defined by score lines and foldable over the end portions of the said flaps, and e. means retaining the end flaps in the folded-over positions.
 3. A container as recited in claim 2, wherein the side flaps have a width such that the edges thereof are spaced from the base portions of the tabs when the side flaps are in the folded-over positions, and wherein the end flaps have a width such that the edges thereof are spaced from the end tabs of each row when the end flaps are in the folded-over positions.
 4. A container as recited in claim 3, including a pair of parallel score lines defining the base portions of the tabs, which score lines extend to the edges of the end flaps. 